Hōjōki: Visions of a Torn World

Chōmei’s titular hut is the centerpiece of the essay. It symbolizes his ascetic lifestyle, as well as the themes of Impermanence and Isolation.

Chōmei describes his hut as “peculiar.” He notes its incredibly small size—"ten feet square and less than seven feet high” (13)—and explains that he purposely built it with hinges, so that he could move locations easily if the mood struck him. This contrasts with his descriptions of the homes built within Kyoto, which were extremely difficult to dismantle and move to Fukuhara. Those homes were intentionally built to last, which was “foolish” in Chōmei’s eyes since they rarely ever did. Chōmei, on the other hand, purposely built his hut with impermanence and asceticism in mind. In doing so, he asserts his enlightened understanding of the world: the fact that change is inevitable and a home should reflect the transience of life.

In Buddhism, the hut also symbolizes the self. Chōmei’s life mirrors that of the monk’s in “Song of the Grass-Roof Hermitage,” a poem by Chinese Zen monk Shih-t’ou (700-790). In the poem, a monk lives in a 10-foot square hut and contemplates existence, enjoying his daily naps and simple life. He has achieved freedom and has no need for society.